Stratus Server Keeps Critical Transactions Running

Review: 6200 ftServer offers solid fault-tolerance--but not at the cost of performance.

The idea behind the Stratus 6200 fault-tolerant ftServer is to provide a device that performs as well as a similar server thats not fault-tolerant. This is no small task, if only because the process of providing continuous availability can soak up a lot of CPU cycles, which in turn slows things down. Stratus, with its dual quad-core Xeon processors, has solved this problem.
The Stratus 6200 ftServer was developed jointly with NEC. It sells for just under $50,000 in the configuration I tested, although less expensive versions are available. The server is available through a variety of resellers, including Dell, and began shipping in fall 2007.

Whats most interesting about the Stratus 6200 is the way it solves the overhead problem. The Stratus 6200 is, in reality, a pair of 2U servers that operates in what the company describes as "lockstep." Both sets of Xeon processors perform the same instructions at the same time, the memory state in both machines is identical, and, if one system fails, the other picks up operations as if nothing has happened.

The pair of 2U chassis communicates through a backplane in much the same way that servers connect through a blade chassis. The servers can share power and network connections.
According to Stratus, the 6200 is aimed at organizations with the need for a lot of critical transaction processing. This includes companies in the financial services and manufacturing industries. At least one major ISP is also using Stratus servers, according to the company.

The 6200 comes with either Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Microsoft Windows 2003 Server. In either case, Stratus provides what it calls "hardened drivers," to make sure that the operating systems handle the fault-tolerant aspects of the server operation. The version I tested came with Red Hat Enterprise Linux pre-installed.
Getting the server up and running was no different from getting any other Red Hat Linux server running. Stratus doesnt provide any special configuration package, nor does it provide any specific management software, except for the utilities to control the operation of the server failover.
There is a Web-based GUI on the out-of-band management port that will let a remote manager check status, perform restarts and the like. That GUI does not provide any broader management capabilities, however.
As youd expect with a server that is delivered with unadorned Linux, the 6200 is intended for life in the data center.
While you can buy this product in a pedestal form that is intended for use in offices and other occupied spaces, it isnt necessarily a good idea. During tests, I found the server to be too noisy for use in spaces that have workers nearby. Using a sound-level meter, the 6200 measured 78 decibels in normal operation. According to a report by the Smithsonian Institution, this is equivalent to the noise on a busy street corner in Manhattan at rush hour. No matter how you compare it, this is one noisy server.
I reviewed the rack-mount version of the server, which was enclosed in a cage that also contained the backplane. To install this server into your data center, youd mount the cage (which is a lot lighter than the servers) and then slide the servers into place.
The backplane is designed so you can hot-swap the entire 2U chassis while the other chassis keeps running. Once the replacement server is in place, the two machines will synchronize their operations, and youll be protected again. Included in each chassis is a three-disk array, each providing failover for the other. You can choose between SAS (serial-attached SCSI) or SATA (Serial ATA) disks.
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Wayne Rash is a Senior Analyst for eWEEK Labs and runs the magazine's Washington Bureau. Prior to joining eWEEK as a Senior Writer on wireless technology, he was a Senior Contributing Editor and previously a Senior Analyst in the InfoWorld Test Center. He was also a reviewer for Federal Computer Week and Information Security Magazine. Previously, he ran the reviews and events departments at CMP's InternetWeek.

He is a retired naval officer, a former principal at American Management Systems and a long-time columnist for Byte Magazine. He is a regular contributor to Plane & Pilot Magazine and The Washington Post.